To satisfy the changing needs and expectations of system users and keep pace with technological developments, sophisticated document system libraries are designed to be routinely restructured and remodified. Such modifications allow for, among other things, changes in document format and the generation of new characters and logos.
While prior art document system libraries have adapted well to change in system requirements, they have, nonetheless, caused difficulties for system users in situations where it is desired to access and reprint previously stored documents. Namely, a system which has been modified and remodified several times, is unable to reprint a previously generated document having printing formats, characters and logos which are now unfamiliar to it. Because of litigation, or otherwise, there is often a need to provide such duplicative documents with the same information as the original, and in the same format as the original printing. Moreover, companies are often requested to produce such documents years after their original printing. As an example, for companies that send out mass billings, a customer account inquiry or the need for billing records often calls for an exact duplicate of a previously submitted billing invoice. In some cases, the request for such a bill may come three or even five years after the printing of the original invoice.
Consequently, the need exists for a method of reprinting documents in the same format as the original printing from a file independent from the document system library.